Ink Falls
by SonicCrazyGal
Summary: While I don't think I'll ever write the full story, I do have a few ideas for my Ink Falls Au that I want to write down. So enjoy and be sure to check out my other Ink Falls stuff on my Tumblr or DeviantArt.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I fixed it.**

 **Meeting the Twins**

Stan ran through the door and slammed it shut behind him, barely getting a board across it before he could hear the Ink Demon come up on the other side, close enough that Stan could hear him breathing.

"It seems our little game of chase has come to an end Ink Well… For now…" the Ink Demon Chuckled, causing Stan to shudder as he heard a long deep scratch being carved into the door. "Enjoy your break while you can… no one can escape me here… In the meantime, say hi to my little pets…"

Stan heard the Ink Demon slink off to who knows where and, after waiting a moment to be sure he was really gone, Stan allowed himself to sink to the floor. How did everything become so messed up? He should have known that something was wrong the moment he came to the abandoned studio and his brother wasn't immediately there to greet him. He should have known that restarting the ink machine was a stupid idea. His brother's experiments had already started getting out of hand long ago. It's what lead to the fight that got him kicked from the studio in the first place. But after 30 years of not seeing his brother, Stan's hopes for a happy reunion blinded him to what was right in front of him.

But never in his worst nightmares could he have imagined that it would come to this. His old friends and coworkers turned into ink creatures. The character he had so lovingly created and worked on twisted beyond recognition. Worn in mockery by that true monster that was chasing him through these halls. He knew full well that if the Ink Demon had so desired he could have easily ended Stan's life at any time. With the power, he felt rolling off that unholy creature, Stan doubted something as simple as a wooden door could actually stop it.

No… the Ink Demon was only playing with him. Whether to just prolong the hunt or for some other malicious purpose, Stan didn't even want to know. Not that any of it mattered at the moment. Right now he had to find some other to get out of this blasted studio, and possibly deal with whatever the Ink Demon was hinting at.

He slowly rose to his feet, cracking his back he did so. All this running and fighting for his health cannot be good for his health, not that he's old or anything. He carefully made his way out the room and into the next one. He didn't get very far when he heard something drop and saw a soup can rolling out from around the corner.

"Hello? Someone there?" Stan called, reaching for his ax before remembering that it had broken during his escape. "I know you're in here. Come out and show yourself."

There was no direct response right away, but Stan could hear frantic whispering from around the corner. Just before Stan was about to go around corner himself, two ink creatures came out from around the corner. They looked young kids, a boy and a girl sharing features similar to Bendy and Alice, and the girl was pulling the reluctant boy closer to Stan. Once they got a good look at Stan, they both froze, their pie-cut eyes widening in surprise, confusion, and… fear? Why would two kids he never met be afraid of him? Though… with how crazy and dangerous the studio was, it was probably a good thing for the kids to be afraid of strangers.

"Hey, it's alright," Stan said softly, kneeling down to appear less intimidating. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Hi! I'm Mabel and this is my brother Dipper!" The girl, Mabel, smiled and tried to approach Stan, but Dipper held her back.

"Mabel, you can't just trust anyone in here," Dipper lectured, giving Stan a suspicious glance. "Especially not one that looks like him…"

"Does this… have to do with my brother Ford?" Stan asked carefully, putting the pieces together. The twins both shuddered slightly at Ford's name, igniting a spark of anger in Stan. He was already angry at Ford for what he'd already seen and had been planning to give the nerd a good punch in the jaw. But to do something so terrible to make kids have that kind of response at just his name, Ford deserved a full beat down.

"We… don't like to talk about him…" Mabel said before brightening up. "But it doesn't matter if you look like him or you are his brother, I'm sure you're nothing like him. Come on, let's take you back to our safe house! We can eat and get you cleaned up. I'll even make you a sweater!"

"Mabel! We are not taking him to our safe house!" Dipper said firmly, putting his foot down. "We don't know anything about him! For all we know, he's the one that turned on the Ink Machine and released Bill! We're better off if we just leave him here!"

"Look, I was the one that restarted the Ink Machine," Stan admitted. It was better that they hear it from him now rather than finding out later. "But I swear to you, I had no idea what it was going to do. If I had known that it would release that monster, I would never have done it. I know you have no reason to believe me, but I promise that I'm going to fix this anyway I can and get you out of here."

"Pinky promise?" Mabel asked after the twins thought it over for a few minutes, holding out her hand.

"Pinky promise," Stan replied with a smile, intertwining his finger around hers and getting a dazzling grin in return.

"Fine, you can come with us," Dipper huffed, looking around. "But we better get moving before searchers or worse find us."

"Lead the way," Stan said as he got up. He followed the twins as they lead him back to their safe house. Stan had a lot of questions and he knew he still had a long way to go to earn the kid's trust, but he's was willing to give it a try. He might have just met them, but he already cared about them and he was going to do all he can to keep them safe.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Just another little something for my Ink Falls AU. This is Pacifica's (Who basically takes the role of Susie in this au) point of view. Enjoy!**

 **Maybe I don't Have to be Perfect**

Susica Northbell always had to be perfect. Her parents had drilled this into her ever since she was old enough to crawl. She needed to walk perfect, look perfect, and always be perfect. She wasn't allowed to interact with kids her age, all time spent instead on lessons. Of course, she only had the best teachers and had to excel in every lesson. She was a Northbell, they had a reputation to uphold after all. They couldn't have a daughter that was everything less than the best. She, of course, worked hard to live up to her parents' expectations, determined to make them proud. But not even she could keep up with their demands. The quiet times she had to herself within her room, Susica would often cry to herself as the pressure weighed on her. She had no escape of any kind.

But then, during one of their rare family outings, they went to the movies. Susica was fascinated by film and especially the animated shorts. The characters were so lively and seemed so free… she was immediately drawn in. It took her a while, but she was able to convince her parents to let her pursue a career in voice acting. They agreed, albeit a little reluctantly and under the condition that if she didn't make it big, she become a real actor.

Susica was ecstatic, though she was careful not to show it, and eventually got a job at the growing Twins Pines Studios. Sure, she was only doing background characters at first, but she was living her dream. Then she got to voice Alice Angel, a new character that was going to be a new regular on the show. It was a lot of work and things only got harder after the head animator walked out, but she didn't care. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy.

But then came the day, the one later referred to as the "Inkcident", that brought everything crumbling down. Susica couldn't remember much about what happened that day, very little of the studio's inhabitants could remember anything at all, but she remembered feeling panicked and terrified as she was pulled into the ink. She was trapped in a dark void with many voices screaming and in pain. She had to get out!

Somehow she did escape, but she was disgusting! She was a slimy shapeless slug! How could she expected to live like this! Her misery didn't last long though as something came, which she would late learn to fear greatly, killed her and sent her back into the ink. It took her a lot longer to escape this time, but when she did… she was an angel!

But she wasn't perfect… and she had to be perfect! Nothing would stop her from being perfect…

She doesn't remember exactly how she learned that harvesting ink from other creatures, but it gave her purpose. It did disgust her at first, but she was desperate and would do anything to survive in this place. And after killing a few dozen times, she became numb to it. Besides, it wasn't like she was doing any permeant harm. Her victims would just be returned to ink and would emerge eventually…

She hunted endlessly, especially those that were close to perfect themselves. The twins became a fixation for her, especially the girl that shared her image. Unfortunately, they were clever and would often slip away from her and the others after them. But one day she got lucky. They had just escaped Gideon's minions, the Butcher Gang, and ended up running right into her. She was quick to drag them back to her lair where she eagerly cut into the girl. She was so ecstatic for the amazing ink that she accidentally let the little devil escape.

She wasn't too concerned at first, as she got the ink from the little angel as she wanted, but the little devil became even more paranoid and protective of his sister once she finally emerged from the ink. It became impossible to get her hands on them again. But then that man came into the studio, the one with the same face as the one who created this nightmare. He managed to lure the twins from their hiding place with promises of freedom. She eagerly took control of the situation and kept them running around while she got everything ready.

She couldn't help but hum in delight as she approached the twisted remains of the elevator. Her prey was distracted, trying to revive the man that had lead them to their fate. She easily swooped in and snagged them, holding them off the ground so they couldn't escape.

"With your ink, I'll finally be perfect," Susica grinned, staring at the little angel as she gripped her throat. In her moment of victory, she didn't see that the man had risen he delivered a powerful punch to her face. She stumbled back and she lost her grip on the twins. They immediately scrambled to the man's side.

"No one hurts my Inklings!" The man growled, glaring at her as he stood protectively in front of the twins. "You can drop me down a 100 elevators, but I will always be here to keep these kids safe!"

Susica could only stare in shock at his fierce determination and cower a little under his glare. They eventually left her and went further into the studio, but still, she sat there. All this time… she had been determined to be perfect… but for what? No one had ever cared for her as that man did for the twins… No one was willing to face down danger for her… Not even her parents came looking for her when she got trapped here… What was the point of being perfect if no one cared for her? Maybe being perfect wasn't worth it… Maybe she could find people to care about her as that man cared about the twins… People that cared about her for herself… not the perfect doll she had been groomed to be…

Maybe she didn't have to be perfect after all…


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: This story is of Bill's take over of the studio and turning it into the inky nightmare we all know. As such, some parts get a little... graphic...**

 **The "Inkcident"**

Ford moved his hand with steady determination, perfectly painting each every symbol. Finally… after all these years of work and research, he was about to have his greatest accomplishment. Once this ritual was complete, all the sacrifices he made would be worth it. All those who doubted him, all those who questioned his sanity, especially his… well… he didn't matter… the point was, Ford was about to prove just how wrong they all were. Not only was what he was about to do save the studio from the debt it was sinking under, but it would also show the whole world that he was the greatest scientist who ever lived. No… he was greater than a mere scientist… he was a god! For he was about to bring St- his creation to life!

Once the ritual circle was complete, Ford checked it over carefully as well as everything else he needed. He couldn't afford to make a mistake now… not when he was so close… Satisfied that everything was perfect, Ford started up the ink machine. While the main body of the ink machine was deep within the depths of the studio, the smaller outlet was perfect for his needs. As the ink flowed from the large nozzle, Ford began to chant the spell he had created with the help of his muse, watching in pride as the ink began to form into the recognizable shape of Bendy.

But then something went wrong…

As Ford continued to chant, the ink form that was supposed to be Bendy twisted, growing taller and more menacing. A dark powerful presence filled the room as the… creature… continued to pull itself together. Ford wanted to stop but found himself unable to. As the last few lines left his mouth, the candles were blown out as the creature loomed before him. It vaguely looked like the cartoon it was supposed to be, but living up to the Demon part of its name. But what really stood out to Ford was the one visible eye, glowing with the power of his muse.

"Bill…" Ford breathed, realizing just who was truly in front of him. "What's the meaning of this!"

The creature… his muse… no… a Demon… laughed at him, sending chills down his spine that he had never experienced around Bill before. The mockery of Bendy's grin looking far more viscous that was ever meant to be.

"It's funny how dumb you are," Bill said as he gazed at Ford. In a blink of his eye, Ford found himself pinned against the wall, Bill holding him there by his throat. "I used you Sixer. I played you like a fiddle and now I can exist in this world without having to make any deals! I'll turn this place into my new playground. It's going to be quite the party!"

"You're a monster!" Ford spat angrily, only getting another laugh from Bill.

"You have no idea…" Bill said in glee, his grin somehow getting wider as ink spread from his hand to hold Ford in place. "And the best part is that you'll get to see it all. You'll see me drown this world in ink and know that you're the one that made it possible!"

Ford was about to retort when the door creaked opened.

"Uncle Ford?" Mabel asked as she entered, Dipper following close behind. "Is the surprise…"

Mabel trailed off as the twins took in the scene before them, their eyes widening in shock and fear. Ford could only stare at them in horror, remembering too late that he had wanted his niece and nephew to be the first to meet Bendy.

"Well looks like the show is can start now," Bill said, looking at the twins and snapping Ford out of his stupor. Ford tried to shout the twins in warning, but Bill had the ink gag him before he could. Ford could only watch helplessly as the ink still pouring from the ink machine surged forward, the wave forming into a spike that drove through Mabel's chest. Mabel let out a small pained gasp before her eyes glazed over. The spike retracted, letting Mabel's body drop onto the ink flooded floor.

"MABEL!" Dipper shouted in despair, before leaping at Bill in anger. Bill easily caught Dipper by the throat, though Dipper sill tried his best to hurt Bill.

"I like your spirit Devil Horns," Bill complemented as he eyed the struggling boy. "I can't wait to see how you turn out."

With a flick of his wrist, Bill snapped Dippers neck and dropped his body beside Mabel's. Tears streamed freely from Ford's face as he looked at the lifeless figures of his niece and nephew.

"Oh don't be so sad Sixer," Bill mockingly assured, flashing his grin at Ford. "I'll be bringing them back, don't want to lose my playthings so soon after all."

The ink around the dead twins bubbled upward, wrapping around them and pulling the bodies into the ink.

"There we go, now it's only a matter of time before they reemerge as ink creatures," Bill said cheerfully. "Hey! If they turn out decent, I'll make them a prince and princess of my inky kingdom. Consider it a reward for all your help Sixer. Isn't that generous of me?"

Ford gave no reply other than a glare, even after his gag was removed.

"Not feeling very talkative? That's alright. We can have a nice long chat after I finish turning this place into my new castle and everyone in it into ink creatures. Catch ya later Sixer!"

Bill strutted out the door, leaving Ford stuck to the wall because of his inky binds. But not long after Bill's departure, the binds became weaker. Whether that was because Bill didn't have access to his full powers or Bill didn't consider Ford a threat even if he did break loose didn't matter. Ford had to take advantage of the opportunity. After a few hard tugs, Ford was able to break free.

The first thing Ford did was clear out the ritual items and shut down the ink machine. While it wouldn't stop Bill, Ford hoped it would slow the Ink Demon long enough for him to save some of his staff in the studio. Ford ran through the studio and down the stairs, passing the destruction Bill was leaving behind. Ford's stomach twisted at the sight of bodies being absorbed into the ink. But worse than the bodies was the smeared handprints on the wall, showing that some victims were still alive when they were pulled into the ink.

Ford smashed the button for the lift. He didn't know how fast Bill could move, but he seemed to be moving from level to level. With luck, Ford would be able to get ahead of the Ink Demon to warn those below. He tumbled out onto level 14, heading to the balcony to shout his warning only for his voice to die in his throat. He was too late. The entire level was flooded and there was no sign of the many workers that used to be here besides a few limbs disappearing into the ink.

 _What have I done?_ Ford thought in despair as he looked out over everything. He was pulled from his thoughts as he noticed the ink began to bubble. Ford staggered back as he watched half-formed monstrosities begin to pull themselves out of the ink. Seeing the creatures that couldn't even be called human anymore, Ford knew that there was no saving the studio. But if he acted quickly… he might be able to save the rest of the world…

With renewed determination and fear, Ford sprinted his way further down into the studio, using every shortcut he knew. Hope began to form that his desperate plan might succeed as he began reaching floors still free of ink. He ignored the workers still going about their business like normal, not even bothering to warn them. They would never get past Bill anyway…

Finally, Ford came to the giant ink machine in the depths of the studio. What had once been his source of pride was now the bringer of this nightmare. He sprinted into the machine and into its center, clearing a large space on the floor. Ford pulled a knife out of his pocket. If he wanted to have a chance of trapping Bill, he had to use blood instead of ink. Slicing his palm, Ford began drawing on the floor in earnest. Bill might have been the one to help him create the ritual, but Ford still had plenty of knowledge and had looked into ways of stopping dangerous creatures.

His hand moved fast and steady, creating the new circle Ford would need. Just as he was putting in the last symbol, the room began to fill with inky shadows. Bill had arrived.

"Just what do you think you are doing Sixer!" Bill's voice echoed menacingly through the room. Ford's heart pounded in fear, but he didn't let himself get distracted. He finished the last symbol and began to chant. Bill burst into the room and lunged at Ford. But just before Bill's claws could rip into him, Ford finished the chant and the circle glowed with power.

"No! No! No!" Bill shouted in anger as his body began to get pulled into the machine. "You haven't stopped anything! I'll break this seal! Even if it takes me a hundred years! You won't escape me! No matter where you try to hide Sixer, I already own this studio! You will fall to me!"

With one last yell, Bill disappeared, leaving Ford gasping as he calmed himself down. Unfortunately, Bill wasn't wrong. Ford had only done a temporary solution in binding the demon to the studio and limiting his powers as much as possible. Ford was going to have to find some way to vanquish Bill permanently.

For now, though, Ford would have to find someplace he could build a bunker. With the ink creatures Bill created, not to mention the Ink Demon himself, roaming around soon, Ford needed a safe place where he could do his research. With luck, it won't be too long until could end this nightmare that he helped create…


	4. Chapter 4

**Sacrifice**

"Okay…" Wendy gasped as she finished off the last searcher. "I think we can officially declare that the ink creatures are a lot more aggressive than they used to be."

Soos and the twins just nodded in agreement as the caught their breath after the fight. It hadn't been obvious at first, but over the last few months (not that they could really tell how much time was passing) more and more ink creatures would appear to stop them as the group as the explored and searched. They didn't know what caused the shift in behavior, but it was making it harder to get supplies they needed and research ways to stop Bill.

"At this rate… it's going to take forever to get to any new places," Dipper grumbled, briefly putting down his ax to pull out his journal. "There has to be some way to get them to back off. Maybe if I find some way to make a portable version of the barrier circle…"

"Or we could just show them that we're too awesome to take on!" Mabel suggested, posing with her crossbow. "And those that don't learn will just get their butt kicked until they do!"

"Does this mean we could have a cool team name?" Soos asked in excitement.

"You know it!" Mabel grinned.

"Later guys!" Wendy said firmly, gesturing for everyone to quiet down. "We need to get moving. We've been here too long."

"Oh don't ya'll leave yet," A voice called from a nearby dark hallway. The group immediately got into defensive positions. "And after I went through the trouble of throwing a welcome party."

"Gideon…" Dipper scowled as Gideon walked closer with several Butcher Gang clones trailing behind him, trapping the group. "I should have expected a slimeball like you to be behind all the increased searcher activity."

"You flatter me Dipper," Gideon smirked. "You really think highly of my abilities, but unfortunately I can't take all the credit this time. Bill has expressed that he is _very_ interested in seeing you and the lovely Mabel."

"Why…" Dipper asked worriedly, while they all stiffened in fear. The Ink Demon was a threat to everyone and for him to show specific interest…

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with…" Gideon replied smugly, clearly enjoying knowing something the others didn't. If you just come quietly, I'm sure Bill will be merciful."

"Not going to happen," Wendy declared, stepping in front of the twins with her sword held ready. "So why don't you just go crawling back to your master before I make you."

"No need for that," Gideon said with a wide evil grin. "He's already here…"

The room immediately darkened and an ink portal began to form right behind the group.

 _ **"Looks like I finally cornered you little pests,"** _Bill gloated as he started to emerge, his glowing eye locked on the twins. Wendy acted immediately, whipping out her axes and sending them flying through the nearest Butcher Gang clones, easily cutting through them.

"Run!" Wendy order, using her sword to slice through another clone. "We'll meet you back up at the safe house!"

Dipper and Mabel didn't argue, fleeing through the opening Wendy had created. They didn't want to leave their friends, but they couldn't risk Bill getting away with his plans. Besides, they knew their friends could take care of themselves and have faith they would be alright.

 _ **"Don't think you can get away that easily!"** _Bill taunted, fully free of the portal and about to give chase.

"Stay away from my friends!" Soos shouted, lunging forward and whacking Bill with his pipe. The Ink Demon stumbled back with the force of the blow but seemed more amused than hurt. When Soos tried to hit Bill again, the Ink Demon easily caught his arm.

 _ **"You should learn to stay out of things that don't involve you to mutt…"**_ Bill said, his grin widening menacingly. Soos yelled in pain as the ink of his arm began to bubble and melt under Bill's touch.

"Soos!" Wendy said in worry. She finished off the last Butcher Gang clone, kicked Gideon away, and sliced Bill's face with her sword.

 _ **"My eye!"**_ Bill yelped, reflexively letting go of Boris to cradle his wound. _**"Do you know how long it takes to regenerate that?"**_

"Come on!" Wendy said, pulling the whimpering Soos along. They fled down the hall, cutting through any searchers that popped up to stop them. Wendy purposely took her time getting back to the safehouse. The last thing she wanted was to lead Bill back to the twins. Once she was positive they had lost their pursuers, Wendy ushered Soos into the safehouse.

"Oh my gosh! Are you guys alright?" Mabel asked as she noticed the way Wendy was supporting Soos. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine little dudes," Soos attempted to assure the twins. He wasn't convincing as he was missing half his arm and the stump was still dripping ink.

"Come on big guy…" Wendy said gently, steering him to a chair so she could clean the wound.

"I'm sorry you got hurt because of us…" Dipper said quietly. "You were protecting us from Bill and this is what he did to you."

"Don't worry about it," Soos replied, playfully nudging the little demon. "I managed to get a good hit in. Besides. I would do anything for you guys. We're family after all. And this doesn't have to be a bad thing. I could build myself a robot arm! Like some sort of superhero!"

"Ooh, that would be awesome!" Mabel squealed, the tiny angel bouncing up and down in excitement. "You'll let me decorate it right?"

"You know it dawg!" Soos smiled and the room filled with laughter and plans for Soos' arm. They always did their best to find the good in their situation, it was the only way they could survive trapped in this hell. Soos did his best to hide the pain from his arm as he didn't want to upset the others. And if it ever came down to it, Soos would happily sacrifice everything to keep them safe because he loved them. And seeing them laugh, Soos considered it all worth it


	5. Chapter 5

**Awake**

 **AN: This one takes place not long after the "Inkcident".**

The first thing Dipper was aware of was darkness. It was all around him and consuming, pulling him in every direction so he had no idea which way was up. Then came the voices. There so many, yelling and crying out. They were scared and in pain, begging for help and to explain what was happening. It was overwhelming and Dipper could barely think straight.

"Stop it! Stop!" Dipper begged, trying to block out the voices. He had to get out of here… He didn't know how long he could last… he had to get OUT!

Suddenly there was a light in the darkness and Dipper immediately lunged for it. He had no proof that it would lead him to freedom, but he had to take the chance. As soon as he reached the light, he broke through what appeared to be a black puddle of some sort. Dipper scrambled for a grip on the floor and pulled himself out of the puddle, crawling away from it until he had to stop. His limbs trembled as he vomited, hacking up the same black liquid that made up the puddle. Even after he finished getting the liquid out of his system, Dipper still dry-heaved for several minutes before he finally calmed down.

Once his breathing was under control, Dipper opened his eyes only to freeze at the sight of his hands. They were covered in white gloves with black buttons on the backs of them and his arms were black. Dipper knelt on the floor and slowly lifted his hands closer, staring at them in shock. Once he processed they were real, Dipper began examining himself for what else was different. His entire body was black with large black shoes, wearing white shorts, white vests, and a white bow tie. His head was round, with horns that his usual hat rested between and floating over his body with no neck. Dipper could only come to one conclusion… He had somehow been turned into Bendy!

Dipper wracked his memory for how this could have happened and was alarmed to realize he had a hard time remember anything before he woke up in the puddle. All he could recall was Uncle Ford working on a big project, pain and… Mabel!

"Mabel!" Dipper said, scrambling to his feet. He knew something bad had happened to her… he had to find Mabel! "MABEL!"

Dipper stumbled through the hallways as fast he could, shouting Mabel's name. But no matter where he looked, he only found empty rooms and abandoned desks. (Some part in the back of his mind recalled that he was in the animation department.) He didn't get to search very long before the hallway suddenly became dark and a tall thin figure came walking toward him. Dipper pushed himself against the wall in fear. Something about that smile and glowing eye just filled Dipper with terror. Everything within him was screaming to run, but Dipper couldn't make himself move.

"Well look who finally crawled out the ink…" the Ink Demon greeted, looming over Dipper. "How are you doing Devil Horns? I must say, I approve of your new look."

"W-who are you?" Dipper barely managed to ask.

"I never did get to introduce myself, even before you're brains got scrambled going through the ink," the Ink Demon nodded. "The name's Bill. But you and everyone else here can just call me your new Lord and Master for all Eternity!"

"W-what..? NO!" Dipper said, shaking his head as determination filled him. "I won't ever call you that! Where's Mabel? What did you do to her?!"

"You've got spirit kid, I'll give you that," Bill mocked the smaller demon. "I look forward to breaking it! Have fun exploring my domain!"

Dipper didn't get a chance to respond before a black portal opened underneath him. The last thing Dipper heard before he fell through was Bill's laughter.

Dipper tumbled through the darkness before landing roughly on the floor. Looking around Dipper didn't recognize anything. He must be in the lower levels where he hadn't been allowed to go. Dipper got up in determination, he refused to let Bill scare him. He began walking down the halls, looking for any sign of where he was or anyone he knew. He stopped suddenly when he heard a groan. Dipper whipped around to see what looked vaguely like the top half of a human made out of ink.

"Hello..?" Dipper asked quietly, unsure what to make of this creature. "I'm Dipper… what's your name?"

The creature only groaned again before lunging at Dipper. Dipper yelled and fear and scrambled out of the way. The creature didn't give though and went after Dipper. Dipper grabbed the closest weapon he could get his hands on, which happened to be a wrench. Holding it with both hands, Dipper swung the wrench as hard as he could. The wrench struck the creature in the head as it lunged again, exploding into a shower of ink.

Dipper dropped the wrench and scooted backward until his back hit a wall. Curling in on himself, Dipper tried to steady his breathing as tears streamed down his face. He had just killed that creature… a creature that was most likely once human… Dipper gasped as he tried to come to grips with what he had just done. He didn't have much time to compose himself before he heard another groan. Fear kicking in, Dipper snatched up the wrench and ran the opposite way of the noise.

This place was defiantly a lot more than dangerous then Dipper was expecting, but Dipper refused to let himself be overwhelmed. He would not let that Ink Demon be right, he would not be broken. He would find Mabel and anyone else he could and they would find a way to get everyone out.

With renewed determination… Dipper strode forward. He would find Mabel and no one was going to stop him!


	6. Chapter 6

**Not-so-great Uncle**

"Looks like the coast is clear," Dipper muttered as he glanced around the corner. "With a little luck, we'll be able to get supplies without any trouble."

"No problem Bepper!" Mabel replied with enthusiasm, though she made sure to keep her voice quiet. "Let's get going!"

Dipper rolled his eyes at Mabel's nickname for him. She liked combining people's name with the character's they now looked like. Still, it was nice to know that Mabel hadn't changed much even after all this time stuck in the studio fighting for their lives.

"Come on," Dipper said, slipping around the corner carefully with Mabel following close behind. "Let's get these supplies and get back to the safe house. If Wendy and Soos are successful on their run too, we should be good for a couple of weeks."

Dipper had found Wendy a few days after being sent to the lower levels. Both of them had been happy to see a friendly familiar face. It was a little over a week later that they found Soos and Mabel. The four of them worked well together, creating safe houses, mapping out the twisted state the Studio had become and trying to find ways to defeat Bill, all the while fight to survive. With a little work, Dipper was able to get the storage closet open, revealing a treasure trove of bacon soup, tools, and spare parts.

"You get as much bacon soup as you can and I'll figure out which tools are the most important to take right now," Dipper decided, getting his bag ready. "We'll have to remember to come back here next time we can for the rest of it."

"On it!" Mabel nodded, immediately starting to fill her own bag. They worked quickly as they could. Just as they were finishing up, a sound from around the corner caught their attention. They both froze, listening carefully. They looked at each other in fear when they realized they were hearing footsteps. Throwing the last few items they could into their bag and locked the closet door before pressing themselves against the wall. Dipper held his ax tightly as he peered around the corner, Mabel shifting as she got her pipe ready.

Dipper easily spotted the figure a way down the hall, thankfully not looking in his direction. Whoever it was wasn't an ink creature, they had too much color. Dipper was stunned to realize that a human had survived this long unscathed. And not just any human, it was…

"Uncle Ford!" Mabel squealed once she realized who it was, bolting around the corner in happiness. Dipper grinned himself and eagerly followed after her. They had suspected Ford was alive in some form for a while as they had found some of his notes scattered around, many of which were helpful in make their safehouse as safe as they were. And after all this time they finally found him. As the twins ran towards their uncle, Dipper noticed the way Ford stiffened after hearing them start to approach. Dipper's pie-cut eyes widened as Ford reached for something on his belt.

"Mabel! Look out!" Dipper shouted, tackling her to the floor, barely dodging the arrow that skimmed over their heads. The twins stared at the arrow for a moment before looking up at their uncle who already had another arrow ready in his crossbow, fear, and confusion on their faces.

"Uncle Ford…" Mabel began, though Dipper prevented her from getting closer to him. "It's us…"

"Bill must be getting desperate if he thinks a couple of pale imitations can affect me," Ford commented, staring down at the twins coldly. "Well, it's not going to work. Nothing he does will convince me to break the seal."

"What are you talking about?" Dipper wondered, slowly trying to pull his sister away from their uncle. "What seal?"

"But Uncle Ford! It's really us!" Mabel pleaded though she allowed Dipper to pull her without resistance. "We really are Dipper and Mabel!"

"LIES!" Ford growled, setting the arrow in his crossbow on fire. "I saw the real Dipper and Mabel be killed by that monster! And you think trying to look like they will win you favors from me? Let me just show you just how wrong you are…"

The twins turned and fled as Ford fired the arrow, managing to shoot Dipper's hat right off his head. Dipper yelped as he and Mabel ran even faster.

"Why didn't Uncle Ford believe us…" Mabel asked, trying to hold back tears. "Do you think he's right? Do you think we're really just copies of the original Dipper and Mabel?"

"No!" Dipper said firmly, making sure they didn't slow down as they headed for their safehouse. "Everyone in here was turned into ink creatures by Bill, but that doesn't mean we aren't the same as we were before. Uncle Ford's just too stubborn and guilt-stricken to accept that…"

"Do you think he'll ever accept us?" Mabel whispered softly as they finally got to their destination.

"I don't know," Dipper sighed, unlocking the door. "But until we can find a way to convince him safely, we're going to have to stay away from him…"

Mabel only nodded sadly as they went inside and began to put away their supplies…


End file.
